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Home / Holiday

12 retro decorating ideas from readers

pam kueber - December 16, 2016, Updated: August 2, 2021

retro-vintage-christmas-decorations-13Readers submitted 375 photos of their vintage Christmas decorations via last weekend’s uploader. There was so much deliciousness! It was a crazy difficult task, but I set out to choose 10 12 photos to spotlight TGIF today. AND, I put the uploader is ON again (now closed), so there are 200+ more photos to ogle. My own personal favorite photo from last weekend’s uploader, above: Bethany was able to literally capture the sparkle of an aluminum Christmas tree in the sun — yowza, nicely done — saying:

New (old) aluminum tree from ebay casting hundreds of light rays around my front room.

retro-vintage-christmas-decorations-2Above: Woah, ya gotta have a big living room to prep this one Merry Christmas sign. Lynne and Bob say:

Getting things ready for the yard display!

retro-christmas-garland-2retro-christmas-garlandAbove: Lots of folks marveled at the garland that Stacia made — what a creative idea! She explained:

Garland made from damaged vintage ornament boxes and vintage mercury glass beads. Stacia

For a project like this, using a paper punch (affiliate link) is goign to make your life a whole lot easier.

retro-vintage-christmas-decorations-3Above: You know how I love me my pine cone elves. I made a condo for mine. This reader cleverly put theirs on a cake stand:

My little elves! L. Gabriel

retro-vintage-christmas-decorationsAbove: Christy gets props for transforming her living room into a vintage Christmas wonderland. This is just one photo. She says:

Merry Christmas! Christy

Merry Christmas back at you, Christy, you certainly brightened mine!

retro-vintage-christmas-decorations-12Above: Don’t want to hot-glue-gun your precious vintage ornaments into a wreath? Nathan hangs his from some sort of vertical grid:

Vintage Shiny Brites suspended overhead. Tavern Gurley candles in background. Nathan Anderson

retro-vintage-christmas-decorations-4Above: Try making one of our Putz house patterns. Then, you’ll have the basic how-to to figure out how to make a Putz house based on your own home. Mystery reader did, saying:

Putz House modeled after our home!

retro-vintage-christmas-decorations-10

Above: Golly I love this vignette. Lucia says:

MCM Storybook Ranch light-up house and candle hugger creations.

retro-vintage-christmas-decorations-5Above: Gotta lotta one type of thing? Stacy N. show us how to make the most of displaying them: “Mass” them (rather than scattering all around) for best effect. Nicely done, StacyN!

retro-vintage-christmas-decorations-7 retro-vintage-christmas-decorations-6

Above: Mystery reader has a ginormous snowman and Santa covering two outside windows. They must come from a former retail operation. This makes me so envious. Me. Need.

retro-vintage-christmas-decorations-8

We didn’t get too many room shots (they are hard to get, don’t you think?) This one: Just lovely. Kristy H. says:

View of our living & dining room festiveness. I made the Joy and Peace felt banners this summer so I would have them ready in time! Kristy H.

retro-vintage-christmas-decorations-9Don’g forget to change out the record covers showing in your record cover displays. (See our story, 22 ways to frame your LP covers.) Peter in NJ says:

Since I missed the upload window last year, here’s a bit of my mid-century modern inspired decor from Christmas 2015. First up, a makeshift mantel with some vintage, storebought, and handmade knick knacks. Oh yeah, and some awesome vintage LPs, too!

CATEGORIES:
Holiday

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55 comments

Comments

  1. KeLLy aNN says

    May 2, 2019 at 9:12 pm

    Hi! Is there somewhere to view all the photos? I was particularly interested in the cone shaped santa that is shown on pinterest as the lead in but isn’t shown above? Thanks

    • Pam Kueber says

      May 3, 2019 at 8:59 am

      I think that after a number years I deleted the gallery because many were submitted very large and the gallery was taking up a lot of space on the hard drive…

  2. Gwen says

    December 12, 2017 at 9:40 pm

    Who has the house rabbit? My 1950’s house has three! Merry Christmas from my buns to yours. 🙂

  3. Rick G says

    January 5, 2017 at 7:56 pm

    Well, I finally made time to give all these X-Mas pics a really good viewing & I love them all !!! – these pics are a special gift to me, each & every one great !!! – Thanks again everyone 🙂

  4. Kristy H. says

    December 21, 2016 at 10:17 am

    Again, there are so many fabulous things on the uploader!
    The 1960s Midway Hills trees are SO cool! Having them throughout the neighborhood must be amazing!

    Atomic Adams’s starburst sputniks are amazing! I was thinking about hanging something from my ceiling this year but couldn’t figure out the best way to do it – anyone know?

    • pam kueber says

      January 3, 2017 at 8:13 am

      Kristy, I recommend talking to the experts at your local hardware store … or to your friendly contractor … to get the best advice on this. Good luck.

  5. Bridget Wall says

    December 21, 2016 at 7:28 am

    These are so much fun!

    Question: anyone know where you can buy 1/2 inch diameter candles for vintage advent ring? I’d love to use it and have it out on my dining room table, but I’m having some trouble tracking down some options. Thanks!

  6. lyndsewsalot says

    December 21, 2016 at 12:12 am

    Aprils
    coffee table made me stop in my tracks too!

  7. Jamie says

    December 20, 2016 at 12:55 pm

    Does anyone know where to get the pattern for Kristy H.’s Joy and Peace felt banners? Must make for next year!

  8. Kristin says

    December 19, 2016 at 3:00 pm

    It’s not the christmas feature but April’s boomerang Acclaim coffee table makes my heart go pitter-pat. I have never seen that shape before! I’ve seen the hinged kind you can adjust but never a fixed boomerang.

    • pam kueber says

      December 19, 2016 at 4:25 pm

      Yes, that coffee table is amazing!

      • denise says

        December 19, 2016 at 4:51 pm

        Ditto. I lingered on that photo and had to snap myself out of it. 🙂

  9. vegebrarian says

    December 19, 2016 at 10:59 am

    I don’t know what I enjoy more – scrolling through the pictures and seeing things I’ve never seen before, inspiring me to keep scouring ~ or clicking through the photos and seeing a fellow RR reader clear across the country with the same treasured decorations as me!

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